Maine native gets Oscar nod for work on “The Hobbit”

A Maine native was nominated Thursday for an Oscar for best visual effects for his work on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Eric Saindon, who was born in Bangor, was nominated along with Joe Letteri, David Clayton and R. Christopher White for their work on the film.

Saindon also received a nomination in the same category on Wednesday for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for director Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit.”

This is the first Oscar nomination for Saindon, who has worked for New Zealand-based Weta Digital since he was hired to be a creature supervisor for Jackson’s original “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, to which the “Hobbit” trilogy serves as a prequel.